Johnny U: The Life And Times of John Unitas - Hardcover

Callahan, Tom

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1400081394 ISBN 13: 9781400081394

Publisher: Crown Pub, 2006

Synopsis

Drawing on numerous interviews with colleagues, competitors, and others, a portrait of the legendary quarterback follows the extraordinary career of the late Johnny Unitas, recalling his seventeen-year career with the Baltimore Colts, his seminal leadership skills, and the athletic talents that made him the dominant football player of his generation. 50,000 first printing.

About this title

Review

Advance Praise for "Johnny U"
""Johnny U" is destined to be acknowledged a classic...By page forty you're saying to yourself, 'I don't want this to end.' Tom Callahan's seamless approach brings to life in an impressively intimate way the colorful personalities surrounding a quarterback who transcended every era. It's a wonderful journey." --Dick Stockton, longtime broadcaster, Fox Sports
"Tom Callahan's book is as elegant, tough, tender, and unforgettable as Johnny U himself. For Unitas and his company of heroes, football was a matter of the heart, always more art than science. Now comes the artist Callahan with a full-length portrait of a quarterback so good that Staubach, Montana, and Manning bowed before him, unworthy. This is Hall of Fame stuff." --Dave Kindred, author of "Sound and Fury"
"If there were a Mount Rushmore of pro football, the craggy face of Unitas would be one of the four figures on it. Tom Callahan is the perfect writer to tell the real story of Johnny U, and he does it with deep reporting and clear writing, cracking a myth etched in stone and bringing back to vivid life the real man." --David Maraniss, author of "When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi"
"I'll be honest. I've never read a football book written by somebody else that made me wish my own name was on it---until now. "Johnny U" is a classic. Tom Callahan, a masterful writer to start with, takes a literary plunge into the real world of pro football and throws more touchdown chapters than Unitas threw touchdown passes." --Dan Jenkins, author of "Semi-Tough"
"This is a magnificent piece of work. Tom Callahan takes us through legendary times, bringing to life the history ofprofessional football and the great players who were the essence of gridiron competition. We are reminded that John Unitas, the quintessential gladiator, was a true champion in every sense of the word. It was he and his contemporaries who established the National Football League as we know it today. These are men who should be revered, whose sacrifice set a standard that will never be equaled." --Bill Walsh, Member, NFL Hall of Fame; Three-Time NFL Coach of the Year
"What a tremendous gift Tom Callahan has given us. Combining personal experience with passionate research, he offers us both a wonderfully human portrait of a legendary sportsman and an enjoyable stroll down memory lane, taking us back to a team, a town, and a time that should never be forgotten." --Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize winning author of "Season of Life"

" If there were a Mount Rushmore of pro football, the craggy face of Unitas would be one of the four figures on it. Tom Callahan is the perfect writer to tell the real story of Johnny U, and he does it with deep reporting and clear writing, cracking a myth etched in stone and bringing back to vivid life the real man." -- David Maraniss, author of "When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi"
" I'll be honest. I've never read a football book written by somebody else that made me wish my own name was on it-- until now. "Johnny U" is a classic." -- Dan Jenkins, author of "Semi-Tough"
" Magnificent . . . Tom Callahan takes us through legendary times, bringing to life the history of professional football and the great players who were the essence of gridiron competition." -- Bill Walsh, member, NFL Hall of Fame; two-time NFL Coach of the Year
" A wonderfully human portrait of a legendary sportsman . . . takes us back to a team, a town, and a time that should never be forgotten." -- Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize- winning author of" Season of Life"
" As elegant, tough, tender, and unforgettable as Johnny U himself . . . This is Hall of Fame stuff." -- Dave Kindred, author of "Sound and Fury"
" As a young dyed-in-the-wool Baltimore Colts fan, I watched Johnny U ascend from a mere mortal to a football god. Tom Callahan gives us a full-textured account, as exciting as sudden-death overtime." -- Barry Levinson, writer and director of" Diner"
" Destined to be acknowledged a classic . . . By page forty you're saying to yourself, ' I don't want this to end.' " -- Dick Stockton, longtime broadcaster, Fox Sports

"From the Hardcover edition."

" If there were a Mount Rushmore of pro football, the craggy face of Unitas would be one of the four figures on it. Tom Callahan is the perfect writer to tell the real story of Johnny U, and he does it with deep reporting and clear writing, cracking a myth etched in stone and bringing back to vivid life the real man. " -- David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi
" I ' ll be honest. I ' ve never read a football book written by somebody else that made me wish my own name was on it -- until now. Johnny U is a classic. " -- Dan Jenkins, author of Semi-Tough
" Magnificent . . . Tom Callahan takes us through legendary times, bringing to life the history of professional football and the great players who were the essence of gridiron competition. " -- Bill Walsh, member, NFL Hall of Fame; two-time NFL Coach of the Year
" A wonderfully human portrait of a legendary sportsman . . . takes us back to a team, a town, and a time that should never be forgotten. " -- Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize - winning author of Season of Life
" As elegant, tough, tender, and unforgettable as Johnny U himself . . . This is Hall of Fame stuff. " -- Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury
" As a young dyed-in-the-wool Baltimore Colts fan, I watched Johnny U ascend from a mere mortal to a football god. Tom Callahan gives us afull-textured account, as exciting as sudden-death overtime. " -- Barry Levinson, writer and director of Diner
" Destined to be acknowledged a classic . . . By page forty you ' re saying to yourself, ' I don ' t want this to end. ' " -- Dick Stockton, longtime broadcaster, Fox Sports

From the Hardcover edition.

If there were a Mount Rushmore of pro football, the craggy face of Unitas would be one of the four figures on it. Tom Callahan is the perfect writer to tell the real story of Johnny U, and he does it with deep reporting and clear writing, cracking a myth etched in stone and bringing back to vivid life the real man. David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi
I ll be honest. I ve never read a football book written by somebody else that made me wish my own name was on it until now. Johnny U is a classic. Dan Jenkins, author of Semi-Tough
Magnificent . . . Tom Callahan takes us through legendary times, bringing to life the history of professional football and the great players who were the essence of gridiron competition. Bill Walsh, member, NFL Hall of Fame; two-time NFL Coach of the Year
A wonderfully human portrait of a legendary sportsman . . . takes us back to a team, a town, and a time that should never be forgotten. Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize winning author of Season of Life
As elegant, tough, tender, and unforgettable as Johnny U himself . . . This is Hall of Fame stuff. Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury
As a young dyed-in-the-wool Baltimore Colts fan, I watched Johnny U ascend from a mere mortal to a football god. Tom Callahan gives us a full-textured account, as exciting as sudden-death overtime. Barry Levinson, writer and director of Diner
Destined to be acknowledged a classic . . . By page forty you re saying to yourself, I don t want this to end. Dick Stockton, longtime broadcaster, Fox Sports

From the Hardcover edition."

"If there were a Mount Rushmore of pro football, the craggy face of Unitas would be one of the four figures on it. Tom Callahan is the perfect writer to tell the real story of Johnny U, and he does it with deep reporting and clear writing, cracking a myth etched in stone and bringing back to vivid life the real man." --David Maraniss, author of When Pride Still Mattered: A Life of Vince Lombardi

"I'll be honest. I've never read a football book written by somebody else that made me wish my own name was on it--until now. Johnny U is a classic." --Dan Jenkins, author of Semi-Tough

"Magnificent . . . Tom Callahan takes us through legendary times, bringing to life the history of professional football and the great players who were the essence of gridiron competition." --Bill Walsh, member, NFL Hall of Fame; two-time NFL Coach of the Year

"A wonderfully human portrait of a legendary sportsman . . . takes us back to a team, a town, and a time that should never be forgotten." --Jeffrey Marx, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Season of Life

"As elegant, tough, tender, and unforgettable as Johnny U himself . . . This is Hall of Fame stuff." --Dave Kindred, author of Sound and Fury

"As a young dyed-in-the-wool Baltimore Colts fan, I watched Johnny U ascend from a mere mortal to a football god. Tom Callahan gives us a full-textured account, as exciting as sudden-death overtime." --Barry Levinson, writer and director of Diner

"Destined to be acknowledged a classic . . . By page forty you're saying to yourself, 'I don't want this to end.'" --Dick Stockton, longtime broadcaster, Fox Sports

From the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Tom Callahan, a former senior writer at Time magazine and sports columnist at the Washington Post, is a recipient of the National Headliner Award. He has covered three decades of everything in major-league sports, from Sarajevo to Zaire, including hundreds of pro football games and numerous Super Bowls. Among his many Time cover subjects are San Francisco quarterback Joe Montana and Chicago running back Walter Payton. Callahan is the author of three other books, the most recent being The Bases Were Loaded (And So Was I).

About this edition

• Publisher: Crown Pub
• Publication date: 2006
• ISBN 10: 1400081394
• ISBN 13: 9781400081394
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 304